Conversation by the campfire
by Lil-Samuu
Summary: One shot set late on during the game. Sheena and Zelos share a night watch. Hints of Sheelos and Colloyd.


During game one-shot set late on during the game. Sheena and Zelos share a night watch shift. Hints of Sheelos and Colloyd.

Dedication: to Minnie. Happy birthday. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

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Sheena shook her head slightly and smiled as she looked over to where Colette was curled up, fast asleep, beside Lloyd who was snoring gently.

"I don't know how she does it you know," she thought out loud.

"Does what hunny? Put up with his bumpkinness?" Zelos asked.

"No, no, sleeps through him snoring like that," Sheena said, wincing slightly as Lloyd snored particularly noisily. "Especially as she has such sensitive hearing."

"She's probably used to it, you can sometimes get used to annoying things over time," Zelos shrugged.

"What, like the way I got used to you trying to hit on me every five minutes?" Sheena laughed.

"Yeah, and the way the brat always deliberately puts ingredients I don't like into dinner when he's cooking," the redhead said.

"He doesn't do that deliberately you know, if you're having to cook for eight people you're not going to be able to only include ingredients everyone likes all the time. You've cooked for everyone before, remember when you tried to cook pasta last week for example?" Sheena said.

"Well at least I do a better job than Raine, she _always_ includes things that people don't like, often burnt things," Zelos chuckled.

"One of these days she's going to surprise us all by cooking something that's actually edible," the summoner said. Zelos raised an eyebrow a little in an expression of disbelief.

"Well, she might. People can learn, people can change," Sheena said thoughtfully, her voice trailing off as she started to become lost in her own thoughts.

The two friends sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, each reflecting on this thought. Then both began to speak at once, starting to say that the other had changed on the journey. They blushed and Zelos gestured at Sheena.

"Ladies first," he smiled.

"I know you probably wouldn't like to admit it but you really have changed for the better on this journey. Maybe some of the others haven't noticed as much but I've seen the mask you've been wearing for so long slip a little," Sheena spoke quietly, looking at the fire rather than Zelos as she said it.

"Mask, what mask?" he asked.

"The one you hid all of your emotions behind, don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. It's good that you're being more honest with us, and yourself," she replied. Zelos paused for a moment then nodded slightly.

"I suppose you're right," he admitted. "It's just difficult, you know, when you're the Chosen people expect you to behave in certain ways."

"I know, Colette's talked to me about it occasionally. You really shouldn't call her a bumpkin you know, she's not stupid, it's just that she's been sheltered from things because of who she is, was, whatever," Sheena said.

"I know she's not. It's just, well," Zelos stopped mid-sentence, searching for the right words to explain himself.

"Old habits die hard?" Sheena suggested.

"Something like that," he agreed. "Besides, that's part of who we are, our jokes and our nicknames and so on, isn't that right my Violent Demonic Banshee?"

Sheena replied by punching his arm.

"That particular nickname I could quite happily live without," she grumbled half-heartedly, so used to hearing it and knowing now that Zelos meant no harm by it that the reaction was almost automatic.

"Your violence I could quite happily live without," Zelos laughed, making a little yelp-like noise as Sheena glared at him. Then her expression changed to one of mischievous glee.

"Well, maybe I could work on that, maybe I could change there, especially if I have a more effective punishment up my sleeves," she said thoughtfully before suddenly pouncing on Zelos, pinning him to the ground and tickling him.

"Stop, stop, no, stop it," he cried between giggles, his laughter getting louder the more Sheena tickled him.

On the other side of the campfire Colette blearily raised her head. She wondered if Sheena and Zelos realised how noisy they could be sometimes when the others were trying to sleep. It was harmless, happy noise though so that was good. Still, she thought as she settled her head back on the pillow and snuggled closer to Lloyd, they could at least try to keep the noise down a little bit.

As she drifted back to sleep the noise of Zelos' giggling and Sheena's taunting rang out around the campfire, punctuated occasionally by a loud snore.


End file.
